Question on weight loss in older pig.

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Kelsie

Post   » Sat May 18, 2019 4:27 pm


I have a female pig who just turned 6 years old last month. Over the past few months, I noticed she seemed a little slimmer than her sister. I always weigh them each week and she has lost some weight just a few grams every now and them. She'll go down and then the next week she will be back up. She is very perky and eats very well. She is showing no change in behavior or attitude. She runs around the cage and is the first pig to be up begging for food in the morning.

Due to the fact that she is an older pig, I thought a veterinary visit was in order. This particular vet is well respected and used by the rabbit community in our area. Upon physical examination, she could not detect any abnormalities but suggested a blood workup and an ultrasound just to rule out any problems and possibly put our minds at ease. My husband and I discussed it between ourselves and the vet and then decided to go with the tests.

When the tests were completed they showed no abnormalities at all. The veterinarian feels that she might be just slimming down due to the fact that she is getting older. She suggested that I give her a little more Vitamin C and possibly supplement her diet with a little Critical Care 2-3 times a week.

My question is do pigs sometimes lose weight as they age? When I adopted her at 3-4 weeks of age she was a round little bundle of fur. Over the years I did notice that she lost that baby look and seemed to get longer and slimmer.

Do you believe that the suggestions of additional Vitamin C and Critical Care would be helpful to her? I realize that she is a senior pig and I won't have her forever but I want to do right by her and give her as much time as is possible.

Thank you for any and all suggestions.

bpatters
And got the T-shirt

Post   » Sat May 18, 2019 5:58 pm


Yes, pigs do lose weight as they age, and your pig is following the typical pattern -- lose a little, stabilize a little while, lose a little more, etc. I wouldn't worry about it, but I would supplement her with some vitamin C. All seniors, pigs or people, metabolize nutrients less efficiently than when they were younger, and it may help do her some good.

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Sef
I dissent.

Post   » Sat May 18, 2019 6:33 pm


I would agree. It sounds like your vet was very thorough, and I would think anything like dental issues or renal disease would have been caught. Older pigs can and do lose weight, but it tends to be a gradual loss as bpatters said. However, if you notice rapid weight loss with any other signs of illness, certainly let your vet know.

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Lynx
Celebrate!!!

Post   » Sat May 18, 2019 9:32 pm


Ditto the advice you have received.

You might also want to read over:
http://jpgpr.guinealynx.info/jpgpr400.html

Kelsie

Post   » Sun May 19, 2019 2:24 pm


@bpatters and @sef1268 thank you both for your helpful advice and support. @Lynx thank you very much for that link. I had never seen it before. That was such excellent information for those of us who are dealing with senior pigs.

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